Illuminated sign



Nov. 16, 1937. l' T. TAAFFE ILLUMINATED SIGN Filei March 12, 1936 INVNTOR, 7710s. TAAF/fa,

ATTORNEY;

hanged .Nen 16,1937

UiTE-o f- S'ISA'm-sl PATENT.; oFFicia,v l

' aosam l Application Mnl-cn 12, .1936, serial No. cassa This invention relates to-improvements lin illuminated signs.

'I'he object oi my inventionl is to provide anl A further object 'of my invention is the provision of'a sign oi the class setforth wherein the 10 sign characters are delineated'inV luminescent tubing of the neongas type having an opaque groundnplate therefor with the-sign characters formed broadly thereonl -in translucent areas symmetrical with the radiant tubing, together with'meansto changeably. refract the light lpassing through said translucent areas to cause said areas to gleam and sparkle 'withd an intensityand motionattract'ively visible in broad daylight and which will produce upon the eyes of an ob-- server an eect of lifeand animation heretofore 20'misent in signs orthis c1ass'.

stuifurther dbjects of the invention are to. provide simple and inexpensive means to utilize.

colored light contrasting with that emitted by the tubing of the sign'characters and retracted upon the ground-'plate to produce a distinctive backmound for said tubing-sign and thereby af,- Iording beautiful and attractiveveifects; topro- 'vide interior colored light rsourcesarranged -to and refract said rays to effect the simulated animation of the sign-bac uponthe ground-plate together with novel means for maintaining the interrupting devices in mtion.

invention, and objects relating to detailsv of construction and variuus arrangements of parts thereof, will befully apparent in the course` of the detailed description to follow. The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example representative vforms of my invention, in which: i

u Fig. 4 a. plan view of the apparatus with the have their rays impinge outwardly upon the ground-plate, with means to interrupt, motivatev ound;-;and improved. means to interrupt the i terior light rays cast- Other obects and advantages residing in my Figure 1 is a view in front elevationof .a sign top wall removed, together with a diagrammatic representation oi the electrical apparatus in-l volved. j

Figs. 5 and 6y are jfragmentaryviews of thein vention in'side elevation 4and illustrative of `alter- 5 native devices for animating the shield element of the invention.

Referring to saidviews, wherein similar reference characters denote like parts in the several yiews, the reference numeral I' indicates the bot- 1 0 tom wall oi a substantially r/ectangular housing; 2 and 3, .the opposite side walls thereof; 6 the top wall; and 6 the rear wall. All of said walls excepting vthe bottom wall which is shownas oi' sheet metal are shown as lformed of marginal 15 rmetal frames 'I within which the respectivewall l proper consists'of a sheet oi clear or colored glass or other translucent material.

'I'he front wallof said housing is formedfof a sheet 8 of glass coated with an opaque paint or analogous material excepting in certain trans.

'lucent areas to be hereinafter .explainedf The housing -just described is primarily formedand adapted to furnish asupport and background for a luminous tube sign I0 .of the neon 25' gas` type. formed -of continuous sign characters. or. letters II and supported at opposite ends from the top of the housing by communicating f. tubes I2 andl I3 covered with opaque. material in the usuaf manner to mask such tube'portions not entering into the sign characters from emitting visible light.

' The sign III is'thus positioned in a plane parallel and spaced outwardly with relation to the ground-plate 8. .The tubes l2 and I3 may ex- 35 tend rearwardly over the/upper wall oi' the housing andare provided vwith terminal electro es;

notespecially shown, connected, respectivel to high tension circuit wires I5 and I6 from a transformer I1 receiving current at normal service 40 voltage from supplywires I8 and I9.

^ In the drawing only the tube portion I3 is shdwn as directly connected to the circuit. wires I5, I6 and transformer II as the tube-portion I2 is utilized to connect additional .structure to be 5 hereinafter explained, but it will be apparent both y of said tube parts may be arranged .as the portion s background area for the sign and against which the luminous tube in all of its convolutions is presented in full relief.

The rearwardly facing surface of said groundplate may beformed throughout with raised or depressed light-refracting elements which may take the form of lenses or prisms. Or as shown, a separate sheet 2lof glass may be ut'lized positioned immediately adjacent the rear face of the ground-plate 8 and formed upon one side, preferably its rearward side, with light-refracting elements 22, as described.

23 indicates an opaque shield suspended within the housing to the rear of and in parallel with the plates 8 and 2l upon springs 25 and 26. The spring 25 upon one side is desirably of the coiled variety, while upon the opposite side a fiat spring 26 is connected at one end adjacent the top of y the housing and is connected adjacent the bottom of the shield through a soft iron angle-piece 21 which serves as an armature within the field of an electro-magnet 28 intermittently energized to cause said shield to be maintained in constant irregular movement. vSaid shield is closely perforated throughout its entire area through which perforations 29 only may dir'ect rays of light from* the rear of the shield impinge upon the clear areas of said ground-plate.'

'I'he structure described comprises the simplest form of the invention, wherein the neon gas-filled tube I0 is rendered luminous through the passage therethrough of a suitable electrical currentand which emblazons the sign characters formed thereof against a background of clear glass through `which the passage of natural light from the rear glass wall 6 or from all or portions of the other translucent housing-walls is refracted and modified y the lens elements 22 to cause said backgroun area to' sparkle and gleam with marked bn liance.

`In addition, said light emanating through or from said housing is permitted to fall directly upon said background in a uctuating and constantly changing form through the continual movements of the shield 23 to further accentuate the sparkling effects produced thereon by the rapid interchange of light and shade thereover.

'I'he full effect and beauty of the sign, however, is not realized until the light projected upon said background area 20l is provided with-color and tints in contrast with the effulgence of the superimposed light emanating from the neon tube I0 and against which radiant and sparkling background the,y sign tube glows with added brilliancy, and instead of either dimming or clashing with the other each tends to accentuate the other to the general improved effect, and the naming tube especially stands out in bolder relief from its iridescent background and to such an extent that even in lstrong daylight the sign tube is boldly visible. y

A. To obtain such color effects daylight may be utilized throughfthe 'use of colored glass in the rear, top or side walls, or in all of them, through which the white light of day maybe filtered and modified to obtain thetints desired. Articial light may be generated in electric lamps 30 of suitable color mounted in sockets 3| disposed in parallel in an electric circuit comprising the circuit-wires 32 and 33. Said lamps may be of the same or differing colors, in which latter case the background area 20 will reflect the' respective colors in stronger measure in portions thereof where directly adjacent and blend tog/ether harmoniously in the intermediate portions.

Also neon gas tubing m ybe utilized to illuminate said background area, and where the same color is employed therefor as is used in the sign tube I0 an extension 35 of said sign tube is formed within the housing lto theI rear of the shield 23, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, but preferably a separate neon tube, not shown; is employed having its distinct electrical circuit issuing from the -v transformer l1, whereupon. light rays of a diierent and more or less Icontrasting color may be used for illuminating the background area, or to illuminate a series of clear spaces, as 36, in the otherwise opaque ground-'plate 8 forming a border or design about the sign I0 and background area. Such means of natural or interior illumination may be employed selectively or in combination and a wide variety of choice is available as 'to color combinations.

Interposed in the electrical circuit inclusive of thewires 32 and 33 is a socket 31 in which is`a flasher-element 38 in circuit with the electromagnet 28 and whereby the latter may be intermittently energized to attract the armature 21 of the shield 23 and thus maintain it in constant irregular motion in a well understood manner.

An alternative means for obtaining such constant motion of the shield is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein 40 indicates a compartment formed upon the side of the sign-housing within which is mounted an electric motor 4| actuating a fan 42. The current of air thereby created flows through an opening 43 in the side wall of the housing and impinges upon a vane 44 extending from the shield and causes the shield to swing upon its spring suspension devices. In Fig. 6 I have shown the shield 23 connected by a rod 45 with a crank-arm 46 mounted upon a shaft 41 of driving devices `48 actuated by an electric motor 49.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is:-

1. An illuminated sign, comprising an opaque ground-plate having a translucent area delineating sign-characters, a luminous tube disposed in spaced relation forwardly of said plate forming sign-characters similar to and in axial symmetry with the sign-characters of said plate, a plurality of light-refracting elements positioned at the rear of said translucent area to refract light passing through said area, means to project colored light rays through said refracting elements to provide in said area a colored background for said tube, and means interposed between the source of said light rays and said elements to effect the constant movement of said rays upon said elements.

2. An illuminated sign, vcomprising a housing, a plane glass .ground-plate .forming a wallof said housing, a luminous tube formed in signcharacters secured in spaced relation forwardly of said plate, said sign-charactersbeing repro- D duced upon said plate as a translucent background area for said sign-characters, the remainder of said plate being opaque, a glass plate having a surface formed of light-refracting ele-l ments disposed in parallel close relation upon the inner side of said plate, a perforate shield suspended in said housing to the rear of said last named plate, means to actuate said shield in irregular movement, and a source of light to thel Y rear of said shield.

tension of said luminous tube positioned to the far of said shieldto supply light through said shield to impinge upon said refracting elements. 4. An illuminated sign, comprising a housing, a

` glass ground-plate forming a wall of said housing. a'luminous tube formed in sign-characters secured in spaced relation 'forwardly ot said plate,

said sign-characters being reproduced upon said plate as a translucent background area for said sign-characters, the remainder oi said plate being opaque, a glass plate having a `surface formed of vligl'lt-refracting elements disposed in 'parallel relation upon the inner side of said plate, -a lper'- iorate shield suspended in said housing to the rear of said last named plate, means to actuate said shield in irregular movement, and a luminous tube'of contrasting color to that ofsaid iirst named tube positioned to the `rearof'said shield to supply light through said shield to impinge upon said refracting elements, and to color said background area with light contrasting with .that

emitted by said rst named tube.

5. An illuminated sign,vcomprising a planelglass ground-plateforming a wall of said housing, a luminous tube formed in sign-characters secured in spaced relation forwardly of said plate, said sign-characters being reproduced upon said plate as a translucent-background area for said sun-characters, the remainder 'oi said plate being opaque, a glass plate having a lsurface formed of light-refracting elements disposed in .parallel relation upon the inner side of said plate.

' a perforate shield'suspended in saidf housing to the rear -of said last named plate, means to actuate said shield in irregular movement, and a plurality of lamps positioned to the rear of said shield to supply light through said shield to impinge upon said refracting elements ,and illumine said background area withA colored light contrast- 55 produced uponsaid plate as a translucent background area for said sign-characters, the remainder of said plate being opaque, a glass plate f having a surface formed of light-refracting elements disposed in parallel relation upon the inner 60 side oi? said plate, a perforate shield suspended in said housing to the rear of said last named plate," means to actuate said shield in irregular ahousing'.

movement, the walls of lsaid housing to the rear o! said shield being formed of glass to admit natural light through` the pertorations of said shield to impinge upon said refracting elements and illumine said back-ground area.

7. An illuminated sign, comprising a housing, a glass ground-plate forming a wall of said housv ing, a luminous tube formed in sign-characters secured in spaced relation forwardly of said plate, said sign-characters being reproducedv upon said plate as a translucent background area for said sign-characters, the remainder of said plate being opaque, a glass plate having a surface formed o1' light-refracting elements disposed in parallel relation upon the inner side of said plate, a perfo- Vrate shield suspended in said housing to the rear of said last named plate, means to actuate said shield in irregular movement, and a plurality of lamps positioned to the rear of said shield to supply li'ght through said shield to impinge upon said refracting elements/ and to illuminate said background area from its rear side.

8. An illuminated sign as set forth in claim 7, wherein said plurality of lamps withinthe hous ing are of4 contrasting c olor tol that of said luminous tube illuminating said background area from its rear side with light distinguishable in color from that emitted by said luminous tube.

9. An. illuminated sign,comprising an opaque ground glass having a translucent area delineating sign characters, a luminous tube disposed in spaced relation from said ground glass plate lucent'l area to refract light passing through said area, means to project colored light rays through said refracting elements to provlde'in said area a colored-background for said tube, and means interposed between the source of said light rays and said elements to eilectthe constantl irregular movement of said rays upon said elements.

10. An illuminated sign, comprising a housing, a glass ground plate forming a wall of said housing, a luminous tube formed in sign characters secured in spaced relation from said lglass ground plate, said sign characters being reproduced upon said glass ground plate as a translucent background area for said sign4 characters, the remainder of said glass ground plate being opaque, a glass plate having as refracted elements disposed in parallel relation vupon the inner side of said plate, .a perforated shield suspended in said housing to the rear of said last mentioned plate, means to actuate said shield in irregular movement, and an extension of said luminous tube positioned to the rear bi' g said shield to supply light through said shield t impinge upon said refracting elements.

THOMAS TAAFFE.

ace formed of light 

